Arsenal defender Gael Clichy is facing a month on the sidelines with a suspected stress fracture in his lower back.
The left-back is an integral member of Arsene Wenger's first XI but has been forced onto the treatment table after sustaining the injury.
France international Clichy will miss Wednesday's UEFA Champions League encounter with AZ Alkmaar and the next European match against Standard Liege on 24th November.
The problem will also keep him out of the reckoning for the forthcoming Barclays Premier League matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sunderland and London rivals Chelsea.
Clichy could return for the Carling Cup quarter-final meeting with Manchester City at the start of December but it is unlikely Wenger will rush him back into action.
long season
The Frenchman's absence will mean a run in the team for England under-21 left-back Kieran Gibbs.
The 20-year-old is highly thought of at the Emirates Stadium and enjoyed a run of matches towards the end of last season.
There has even been talk of a possible call-up to Fabio Capello's England squad, though Gibbs was keen to play that down recently.
"It's in my mind somewhere, but we have a long season yet," he said. "At the moment I don't really deserve to get a World Cup call because I have nowhere near the experience that a lot of the players do, and I've a great deal to prove yet.
"Hopefully if I can get some more good games under my belt this season then there might be a chance - but at the moment I'm just concentrating on the club and what we can do to win trophies."
